ersonally, I have always found
getting dressed quite a challenge.
Not in the “I can’t fit into these
jeans any more” way (though that
is an increasing concern) but in terms of
knowing what is appropriate for an occasion.
The term smart-casual makes me shudder
in that it can mean so many things to different
people – and, while we’re on the subject, what
the hell is a lounge suit when it’s at home?
Pubs too have to consider the look they
want to project. Should staff be kitted out in
branded shirts with name badges so they
are easily identifiable, or do you want them to
express their personalities through their
appearance? This month we ask licensees
how they approach the subject of uniforms,
and explore options out there that may help
you decide the best way to dress to impress.
Speaking of dress, it will be Christmas
jumper time soon, and in this issue you will
find plenty of last-minute tips for the festive
season. That will keep you busy
enough so we will say goodbye,
in magazine form at least, until
the new year. Here’s to a
happy and prosperous
season of goodwill.

BARSTOOL EXPERT
all you need to know about THE OFFICE PARTY
Yuletide greetings.

No. Not with you right now, anyway.

Argor! I luv you, yeah? You my bes fren.
Besever. Yeah?

You want to fight me?

I really don’t.

I have literally no idea what you are
saying.

Come on, I jush wan one more teeny
weeny drinky.

Awwwww, you’re brill you are. Brill. And was
brilleve wiv all the office people. Hic.

Have you been partaking of a few,
ahem, beverages by any chance?

That’s just it, you are so drunk that it
would be illegal for anyone to serve
you one, in my opinion.
No!

Dun be shilly, was a little teeny weeny tiny
glass of wine n some shots for Chrishmush.

Ah! The annual office seasonal shindig
was it, hope it went well?

Honestly, it’s an offence to sell alcohol
to a person who is drunk under the
Licensing Act 2003.
Pah! Borin shpoil shports.

Yesh, yesh. Office rismas party wunnit.

Then you are one of the estimated 11m
Brits who attend a work Christmas
party each year.
I jush need sit down here foramin.

I’ll bet. Still at least you had it earlier
than most and didn’t wait until the
dreaded Mad Friday.
Eh?

Also known as Black Eye Friday or,
simply, Black Friday, it’s the last Friday
before Christmas and the most popular
time for office Christmas parties.
Dunno. Wah you say?

Still, whenever you choose
to have them, festive
office socials
are big
business for
pubs.
Pub? You
wanna go
pub?

trade.inapub.co.uk
p05 barstool expert.indd 5

Hardly anyone in the trade seems to
take much notice – a 2014 study
suggested more than 80 per cent of
licensed premises regularly serve drunk
people, especially on weekends and
other busy nights.
Hic.

Very few are ever prosecuted but it’s
still something pub staff should be
aware of, especially at this time of year.
Feel a bit sicky.

Santa Claus is coming to
town: Refresh staff knowledge around drinking laws
and equip them with skills
to deal with “tired and emotional”
customers.

IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH
Parliament passes on beer baton
Graham Evans MP has been named the new All-PartyParliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) Chairman. He
succeeds Andrew Griffiths MP.

BBPA puts forward plan for Brexit
The British Beer & Pub Association has published a
manifesto outlining how the beer and pub sector can grow
and create jobs, as Britain leaves the EU. The
manifesto urges the government to help create a
resurgence in beer exports, more jobs in pubs, and boost
the UK tourism industry.

TOP STORIES ON
TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK
Cask Ale: Are the big brands still relevant?
London’s booming: a map of the city’s brewing
hot spots

ALMR warns rates still a problem
New business rates proposals may still penalise pubs, says
trade body the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.
Despite welcoming a rates revaluation by the government,
the association says businesses will still face unreasonable
increases to their bills. Chief executive Kate Nicholls said:
“It is still likely that one in four businesses will see their
rate increase.”

16%

The average rise in Cambridge pub and bar
revenues over Fresher’s Week this year, according
to software provider Epos Now.

A night at the ‘oldest’ pub in the country
Could taking a kitchen shift help your business?
10 things we’ve learnt from 10 years of the
Cask Report

Publican to the stars?
Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans is selling his pub
— and the price has already come down
by £100,000.
Freehouse The Mulberry Inn in
Chiddingfold, Surrey, is on the market with
sector specialists Fleurets with an asking
price of £1.15m. The TV and radio star
planned to run the inn at arms’ length,
but since moving nearby he became a
self-proclaimed ‘”custodian” of the venue.
It has bar and restaurant areas, a lawned
garden, patios and a children’s play
space, and has seen its fair share of Alisters and supercars grace the premises.

We don’t offer huge pudding sizes anyway,
as we like people to comfortably eat three courses. But I
think politicians telling people what they should and shouldn’t eat is wrong.
We call desserts puddings here, and I think a real pud should come with custard. Me
telling my customers they should have a smaller portion or something with less sugar in would
be like me saying they should have a non-alcoholic beer or a small glass of wine.
I understand the approach the government is taking, but people can look after themselves. They come to
the pub to relax and escape everyday life or spend time with their family, so to then start saying the government
should name and shame pubs with sugary puddings is a joke. There should be a way to help people who are obese,
but there must be some sort of way to control obesity without putting the burden on the pub
or restaurant.
Our puddings are a good size. A chocolate
brownie will be about a 2.5-inch square
with a scoop of ice cream, so they’re
Saying the government should name and
good enough for people to enjoy
shame pubs with sugary puddings is a joke. There
without being too full.

should be a way to help people who are obese
but there must be some way to control obesity
without putting the burden on the pub

Jon Cox, landlord
at the Yew Tree Inn,
Bunbury, Cheshire

If customers are paying to go out
and enjoy themselves then they shouldn’t have someone dictating what they should be doing. But on the other hand, when I
think about our food here it is very well balanced.
We use natural fructose in our puddings. I’m a type 1 diabetic and a lot of people have
dietary requirements these days, so we’ve developed a lot of our puddings to be gluten-free, we use
soya base and refined fructose instead of a lot of cane sugar.
For example, right now we have a yuzu tart on, made with a light soya-based cream and Japanese yuzu fruit.
And we make a fennel ice cream, but the fennel is cooked in watermelon syrup.
I get it, the rise of type 2 diabetes is massive and it will cost the government a lot and cripple the NHS, and people
do become addicted to sugar. But to target pubs and restaurants is
silly. They need to look at the big issues like sugary drinks.
They conceal cigarettes in supermarkets, so they
A lot of people have dietary
should be putting sugary drinks on the top shelf.
requirements these days. We’ve
It’s about balance. If you’re going to have a
developed
a lot of our puddings with a soya
sticky toffee pudding then you’re going to
base and refined fructose, But if you’re going to
need to make it with the sugar!

Anton Piotrowski, chef proprietor
of the Treby Arms,
Sparkwell, Devon

p6-7 news.indd 7

have a sticky toffee pudding you’re going to
need to make it with the sugar!

22/10/2016 10:33

Country Range frozen desserts

We feel like kids in a cake shop. Country Range has
launched six new frozen desserts for the Christmas period.
The line-up includes a salted caramel profiterole
gateau, chocolate peanut butter pie and a cox apple &
blackberry pudding. Ah go on then, it’s Christmas, we’ll
have a bit of everything..
www.countryrange.co.uk

Hofmeister

When we heard this old brand was
returning we felt all warm and fuzzy, a
bit like a large bear in a hat. The bear is
much the same but the beer has changed.
A team of Brit entrepreneurs is bringing it
back after a 13-year break as a five per cent
Helles lager. You can still follow the bear,
but now on twitter.
@hofmeister_beer

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Hartridges Apple Pressé

The Hartridge family have been making drinks since 1882
(the year Charles Darwin died, no less). They are now
evolving (see what we did there?) their own range with the introduction of a new sparkling flavour, Apple Presse. It’s gluten
free with no preservatives, so healthy, wholesome fun for all.
www.hartridges.co.uk

Corky’s Glitter Schnapps

Add some sparkle to your party shots this Christmas with
the new look Corky’s Glitter range. The new sleeved bottles
“make a real impact” on back-bars according to owner Global
Brands. The company is promoting the new look by hosting
glitter events across the UK, featuring glitter makeovers, glittercannons, sparkle dancers and disco balls. We’ll still be trying
to pick the stuff off the carpet this time next year.
www.globalbrands.co.uk

trade.inapub.co.uk
p8-9 stuff.indd 8

22/10/2016 10:59

this month.

Chocolate entremets

Real Deli dips

We pitta the fool who doesn’t like houmous.
The Real Deli Co. has launched three new
flavours to its chilled dips range. Reduced
fat houmous, sour cream & chive and
Mexican bean join the line up of all-star dips.
Pop them on a sharing board and you’re
laughing.
www.therealdelicompany.com

61 Deep

So Marston’s is going for it then. Not only
are brews such as Pedigree being given
a completely new look as part of a £1m
project playing strongly on its Burton
connections. It is also launching new pale
ale brand 61 Deep (the depth in metres of
its freshwater well in Burton) and a new
600-pint innovation brewery. That should
keep them busy.
www.marstons.co.uk/trade

Apparently we Brits eat around 6.8 kilos
of chocolate a year, each. For all those in
need of a sweet treat, Brioche Pasquier has
launched four new chocolate “entremets”,
which meant “between courses” in Old
French. They are multi-layer mousse-based
desserts, which can be sliced into 10-12
portions. Or left whole for anyone wanting to
hit their 6.8 kilos quota early.
01908 266 700

Rum Sixty Six

Avast there ye landlubbers, there be a new
rum from the Caribbean landin’ on our
shores! Rum Sixty Six be a swashbucklin’’
spirit distilled in Barbados and named after
the year of the island’s independence from
the UK. The first grog available will be Rum
Sixty Six Family Reserve, with a six-year-old
and a cask-strength 12-year-old to follow. Arrr!
www.halewood-int.com

Röad Crew by Motörhead

The band may be now more but Motörhead
lives on in beer form. Road Crew is an
American-style pale ale brewed by
Camerons Brewery and scheduled to launch
later this year. It’s named after the track
(We Are) The Road Crew, which appears
on the Ace of Spades album. The beer
isn’t the band’s first foray into the world of
drinks brands — a cider, Snaggletooth, was
released last May.
www.cameronsbrewery.com

p8-9 stuff.indd 9

22/10/2016 10:59

Dressed for success
by ROBYN BLACK

THE
KING’S
HEAD

From scratchy school ties to the glamour of
an airline attendant, everyone has an opinion on
uniforms. These days, though, you’ll be lucky to
spot anyone in uniform at a trendy pop-up or
street food market, so should we be asking if no
uniform is the “new black” — or is there more to
staff uniforms than mere clothes?
For Simon Delaney, licensee of The
Firbank in Manchester, it is most definitely about more than a shirt and tie.
“We have a uniform here (shirts, ties,
aprons and name badges) because
I believe It looks organised and
professional. We are selling
premium products and we
need to match that with our
appearance.”
It is also a signifier to
staff that they are part of a
professional operation, he
explains, and helps them
feel part the team.
“Also, I always think when
you put that uniform on it’s
like putting on a costume for
a performance. You stop
being John on the street and
go to being John the bartender
or waiter. It gets you in that
mindset of being a server.”

Building a brand

Creating an identity through
uniforms can be particularly useful for multiple operators, such
as Fuller’s. Staff at its managed

10

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p10-11-12 lead feat.indd 10

Ale & Pie arm are about to get a new
uniform. The black and gold polo shirts
of old are being replaced with a new
“more gentle” blue livery, which includes
several different styles as well as
male and female cuts.
“A uniform helps create a
brand identity and brings
consistency,” explains
operations manager Simon
Gifford. “The new uniforms
will help us to differentiate
between styles of venues
while maintaining that brand
consistency. So managers
can choose the option of a
formal shirt for staff in, say, our
city pubs; a polo shirt for our
more tourist pubs, and a t-shirt
for more relaxed venues.”
In addition managers can
choose to rotate uniforms
through the day, the smarter
shirt for the day perhaps and
a more casual option for
evening service. At Fuller’s
largest venue, London’s Pride
at Heathrow Airport, which has
a team of 500, uniforms are

trade.inapub.co.uk
22/10/2016 11:12

this month.

What’s on-trend for uniforms?
You might not have the budget to change uniforms every season, but
neither do you want your team to look dated. So what’s the fashion pack
wearing in hospitality these days? We asked Nick Jubert, managing
director of uniform specialist Dennys:

•
•
•
•

A move towards slim or skinny-fit items
More widespread use of colour, particularly the neutral greys, sages
and peats which match the Farrow & Ball shades of so many hotel
and restaurant interiors.
Canvas and denim are becoming more popular fabrics for waiting
staff
A move to more informal uniforms, with some operators putting bar
staff in chinos and check shirts.

also used as a management tool. “London’s
Pride is the only venue where we have different uniforms for each different front-of-house
role,” Simon explains.
“Bar staff, waiting staff and the meet-andgreet team all wear something different. With
60 to 90 staff on at any one time, this helps
managers keep an eye on service levels and
spot areas that might need more help at any
time, because you can see who is doing what.
“It also means customers can easily differentiate between other customers and staff,
and staff that are performing different roles.”
Customer feedback on uniforms has been

trade.inapub.co.uk
p10-11-12 lead feat.indd 11

very positive, Simon reports (as indeed do
all those interviewed for this feature).
“When we undertook research we found
nearly all customers preferred to see pub
staff in a uniform of some description,”
he says.

Unique uniforms

Perhaps surprisingly, even for publicans
wanting to convey a more informal and
“individual” image, a uniform can still be
worth considering.
Keris De Villiers, for example, runs
two pubs — The Pig & Whistle and The

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

11

24/10/2016 13:56

Old Sergeant, in the London borough of
Wandsworth — with her husband Lee.
She has not only managed to tread the
line between uniform and unique, but has
also managed to create a new revenue
stream from it.
“We want our staff to have a bit of
quirkiness and for them to be able to retain
their own style, if that means tattoos and
jewellery on show, then so be it. The feedback from customers is that they like that
the team are all different.
“We do however provide a branded t-shirt.
Currently we have two types, one says,
‘Same shirt, different day,’ and the other
says ‘If you don’t eat, we both starve.’ We
got the idea from a place Lee and I used to
work in back in South Africa.”

Specialist supplier or high street?
It might be tempting to set off down the high street to source uniforms but
specialist retailers can offer consistency and durability, as Peach Pubs
support chef Russell Clark (who is responsible for team uniforms across
the estate) believes.
“We’ve tried to buy cheaper items in the past but find they start to look a
bit tatty after a couple of washes,” he explains.
“We also like the fact we can get the same product lines year in, year
out. So we can order more aprons or hats for new starters, for example,
and be confident they’ll match what the existing team are wearing.”
Others, such as Simon at The Firbank, opt for a mix of specialist and
high street: “We buy our aprons and ties from a specialist retailer but the
shirts we just get for £4 from Matalan,” he explains. “They get such a
battering it’s better to just be able to replace them cheaply and easily.”

They have proved popular not just with
staff but customers as well — so much so,
that the business now sells them for £12 a
pop behind the bar.
“They don’t represent a big cost to the
business in any case, but the sales of them
mean they more than pay for themselves,”
Keris says.

Staff rewards

She isn’t the only licensee to see that
uniforms can be more to the business
than just clothes. Scott Foster, manager at
The Chequers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire,
uses uniforms as part of staff incentives.
“Part of the uniform here is an apron and
when staff hit their targets they’re rewarded
by having a badge of their award sewn onto
it. So it might say ‘employee of the month’ or
‘highest sales’ or something like that.
“It makes them feel appreciated and
customers notice it as well, so it provides a
talking point and a sense for customers that
they are being looked after by someone who
is really good at their job.”
You don’t even have to go to the effort of
special badges, Scott says: “Sometimes
we’ve just had people’s names embroidered
onto the apron as a reward and that has
also gone down well.
“It doesn’t have to be a large gesture, but
showing you appreciate someone’s hard
work can make all the difference.”
And who’d have thought a staff uniform
could do that?

*Source: CGA, 12w/e to 9 July 2016. Cash generated per tap.
Premium lagers with a minimum of 500 distribution points.

Please enjoy responsibly

ad page2.indd 13

22/10/2016 11:13

FAMOUS FOR
BEING VERY OLD

Matt Eley visits a contender for the title of Britain’s oldest pub

“

To be involved
in one of the
oldest buildings
I know is
enchanting

14

I’m going to let you in on a little
journalistic trick. Sometimes, despite
minutes of research on Google, it’s just not
possible to verify a claim.
When this happens you’ll see features,
much like the one you are now reading,
littered with phrases such as “one of”,
“among a handful” and, that old favourite,
“possibly”.
Which brings me to The Cridford Inn, in
the Devon village of Trusham, which is, quite
possibly, one of the oldest pubs in
the country.
The building itself dates back to 825 AD
and still has a section of flooring from a
couple of hundred years later, when it
was re-modelled.
It also retains medieval windows, ancient
bread ovens, open fires and the charm and
character of a pub that has been around
for generations.
It has also been a house and a nunnery
before becoming a pub (within the last
century) but George Nightingale, owner of
the freehouse, believes it has a valid claim.
He says: “We will never know the answer
to what the longest licence is or the longest
that a building has been used as a pub.
However, in terms of where a licensed premises now resides and the features of the
building, it is important to the pub industry.
“We are sitting in front of one of the oldest
domestic medieval windows in the country.
It pre-dates glass. There would have been
nothing in it apart from animal skin when it
was cold.”
Retaining these unique features while
appealing to a tourist market will be a balancing act for George, who took on the pub
just four months ago, and his team. In that

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p14-15 famous for.indd 14

time he has seen visitors from around the
world come through the doors, as well as
the 175 Trusham residents who had
previously fought to prevent the inn being
turned into a residential property.
He continues: “It has tourist appeal but
it is very much a local pub and we do not
want to turn it into a tourist attraction.
“If we focus on the locals that is what
people want to come and see us for.”

Reasons to visit

Being old is not enough to drive trade on
its own, so work has started in earnest on
revamping the pub’s letting rooms,
furnishing it throughout with items more
befitting a pub of its years and revitalising
the food offer with a new kitchen team.
George describes the food as “a step
below fine dining”, which is a deliberate
move to get regulars in for meals. “We need
the numbers. We want people eating here
two or three times a week, not two or three
times a year,” he says.
Later in the year George plans to reach
out further to tourist boards to help market
the pub based on its age and tradition. He
adds: “To be involved with one of the oldest
buildings I know is enchanting in itself.
“It’s a privilege to come here every day.
We are all about experiences and good
times and we have a natural advantage
before we start.”
Whether it can ever be verified as the
oldest is perhaps as moot point, as George
says: “It is something that should be argued
and there will never be an answer but we are
certainly in the running.”
It’s not a bad debate to have over a pint
by a warm and ancient fireplace, is it?

trade.inapub.co.uk
22/10/2016 11:22

this month.

Possibly older

Pic: Peter Trimming

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans
According to the Guinness Book of
Records this is the oldest pub in the
country and dates from the eighth century.
However the current building was
constructed in the 11th century. Cock
fighting, as the name suggests, was a popular activity at the pub. It also boasts Oliver
Cromwell as a previous overnight guest.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham
Another golden Ye Olde, this pub dates
from 1189 AD and bills itself as the oldest
inn in the country. The pubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cellars are
essentially caves packed with beer and
plenty of history. They lead all the way to
Nottingham City Centre, which may or
may not be quicker than public transport.

The Royal Standard of England,
Beaconsfield
Proudly serving pilgrims for more than
900 years, standards remain high at this
multi-award-winning venue. It claims to be
Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest freehouse and we will
not argue with a pub that has so much
armour on display.

p14-15 famous for.indd 15

22/10/2016 11:22

We are on a mission to bring you coffee cocktails like you’ve never tasted before.
With our unique coffee f lavour made from premium Arabica coffee beans,
there’s no other liqueur that makes coffee cocktails like Tia Maria. Let’s grind.

drink
It’s Saturday night. It’s central London. It’s heaving. There
are bodies jostling for space everywhere, the background
noise is unbelievable and I’m wondering whether a visit to
London Cocktail Week’s “cocktail village” was
such a great idea — it’s going to take an age
to get a bloody drink for a start.
But here’s the thing —- it didn’t. I
went to five separate bars that night
and at none did I have to wait more
than a minute to be served.
And it’s not like I was ordering
a pint. Among other things, I had
a Breakfast Fizz (Grey Goose
L’Orange, grapefruit blush and
burnt toast — really); a Freakshake
made with Bailey’s new Pumpkin
Spice flavour, ice cream, an actual pie
and I don’t know what else; a Bombay
Sapphire cocktail based on the adventures
of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and an Ee by Rum
from Britvic’s Winking Pig stand, made with tea-infused rum,
lemon and tonic, complete with a bacon sarnie garnish.
Sometimes I’d be ordering two different cocktails at the

with ROBYN BLACK

same time, and still at each bar I visited I was served with
impressive swiftness and attention to detail.
One barman added and removed ice cubes with tongs
until he was satisfied that each glass had just the
right amount of ice. I spotted another checking the taste of my cocktails three times,
while at the Tia Maria + Coffee Project
bar, totally and utterly rammed, the
staff meticulously brewed coffee
and counted out exactly three
coffee beans with which to garnish
each and every espresso martini.
All of this goes to show there
can be no excuse for poor-quality
drinks, no matter how busy a bar is.
Yes, these are world-class bartenders
but the only thing separating them from
us mere mortals is training. It also demonstrates that anyone avoiding offering cocktails
in their pub because “they are too time-consuming”
or “you can’t guarantee quality on busy nights” is talking
balderdash. Which, now I think about it, might well have
been the name of that final cocktail of the evening…

See what we got up to at
London Cocktail Week
at trade.inapub.co.uk

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN
•
Maxxium is putting its “largest ever” investment in a Christmas
campaign for its Famous Grouse brand this year. Two new
TV ads have been created to communicate that the whisky
is perfectly balanced in flavour and smooth to taste.
•
Blind drummer and Paralympian Roy Turnham stars in
a new campaign for Bombardier, which focuses on the
“individuality of the beer range and its drinkers”, Jason
Wills, brewer Charles Wells’ marketing director, said.

18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

p18-19 drink intro.indd 18

•
Lovers of a cheeky glass of wine with
which to watch the cricket will be
pleased to see Australian brand Hardys
will continue its sponsorship of England Cricket until 2019. The agreement
extends the original deal, which brand
owner Accolade Wines says has been
a huge
success,
by three
years.

trade.inapub.co.uk
22/10/2016 12:21

drink.
Britvic Indian
Tonic Water

As part of an overhaul of
its mixers and juices range,
Britvic has created a tonic
water that “pairs seamlessly
with all types of gin”. The
reformulated Britvic Indian
Tonic Water will sport the
same new bespoke bottle
as the rest of the range,
which was unveiled last
month, and was
designed to highlight the brand’s
British heritage.
www.britvic.com

Marie Brizard liqueur

French liqueur and syrup
brand Marie Brizard has
undergone a redesign to
further boost its profile in
the UK, where it has grown
tenfold in four years. The
new Art Deco-style bottles
are said to be easier for
bartenders to handle and
are rolling out now.
www.catalystbrands.co.uk

Look out for...
Tia Maria

Coffee liqueur Tia Maria is aiming at a new generation of
drinkers with a new-look bottle and on-trade campaign.
The brand is targeting at Millennials who love coffee
and cocktails, with a trade initiative called The Academy,
designed to help pubs, bars and coffee shops perfect their
coffee cocktails.
www.williamgrant.com

Haymans English
Cordial Gin

Just 1,500 bottles of this gin,
which tries to replicate the
style of gin popular in
the 1800s, have been
made. The distiller
drew on the expertise
of drinks historian
David T Smith to create
the spirit, with a warm,
spicy, earthy character,
sweeter than modern
gins.
www.lovedrinks.com

Dark Light

Heineken’s Caledonian
Brewery has launched its
first black lager. The 4.7 per
cent ABV brew is based on
the classic Schwarzbier-style
of southern Germany. It is
said to have an initial fruit
flavour, followed by dark
malt, chocolate coffee
and vanilla notes, with a
creamy texture.
www.caledonianbeer.com

On the bar
Jess Went &
Carlos Pereira
The Old Frizzle,
Wimbledon, London
We do a great all-day
offer here and in the
evenings concentrate on
our cocktails.
We offer all the
classics, of course,
but we concentrate on
promoting our own range
of cocktails, created
in-house by Carlos. He
also does training to make
sure staff can make them
properly.
We promote our
cocktails on social media,
on boards and cocktail
lists in the pub as well,
and we put a selection on
the food menu to encourage people to try one.
Our dessert cocktails
are particularly popular,
which we sell for £8.50
or £9, and our sharing
cocktails do well at busy
times too — we do two
for £35 and The Party
Bowl for £45 — but the
best seller overall is
probably our Jam Cosmo
(£8), which is vodka
mixed with raspberry jam,
lime juice, sugar syrup
& orange bitters.

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22/10/2016 12:21

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22/10/2016 12:30

drink.

Their Christmas list
by ROBYN BLACK

trade.inapub.co.uk
021-22-23-24 xmas drinks.indd 21

There’s no doubt about
it, the festive season is
party season. There’s
more than one type of
Christmas party though
— the annual office
bacchanalian bash is as
different an occasion
from a festive snifter
of sherry with Aunty
Shirley as it can be.

Helpfully, the chaps over at Diageo have
come up with a list of key occasions to
help venues organise their drinks offer:
Christmas get-together, work party, big night
out and formal meal. To that we should also
add family gathering, likely to be a key
occasion for soft drinks, for example.
Taking each of those events in turn, we’ve
come up with some drink ideas to help you
get the most out of the season.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

21

24/10/2016 13:03

1

The Christmas get-together
Punches and sharing drinks

“In the months leading up to
Christmas the pub becomes
the go-to location as festive
celebrations get under
way and social occasions
increase and expand ahead
of the big day,” says Russell
Kirkham, senior shopper
marketing manager for
out-of-home at Britvic Soft Drinks.
“Larger social groups are more likely
to walk through the door at this time of year,
so don’t miss out on the opportunity to
showcase sharing offers such as pitchers of
cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks to suit a
variety of tastes.”
Russell says there are plenty of
ideas on the company’s website
www.pourmoreflavour.co.uk. Diageo’s
www.diageobaracademy.com site also
offers inspiration, or try Maxxium’s
www.mixxit.co.uk, and search our own
website trade.inapub.co.uk too.
As well as traditional punches and
sharing drinks, the trend for “batch
cocktails”, spearheaded by top bartender
Ryan Chetiyawardana of London’s White
Lyan and Dandelyan bars, will work well
for this crowd.
Essentially it consists of making
cocktails in bulk, in advance. Popular
cocktails such as Negronis, Manhattans and
rum and gin-based punches work well made
this way.

2

The work party
Wine

Some, such as Michael Hardy,
managing director of supplier Ooberstock,
would say that “Champagne is the ultimate
festive drink.” It certainly remains a crucial
part of the drinks offer at this time of year –
particularly as the rise and rise of Prosecco
has given people a taste for fizz.
“Ensure your staff have tasted the
Champagne and know what they are talking
about to sell confidently,” he advises.
“And add a sense of theatre with branded
ice buckets, tasting glasses and a
Champagne display.”
Forget still wine at your peril though.
Parties of colleagues are likely to drink it

22

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

021-22-23-24 xmas drinks.indd 22

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emonBr

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21/10/2016 17:19

not just through their meal but afterwards as
well, boosting bottle sales after the quota on
the table has been drained.
The chaps at CWF predict that Sauvignon
Blanc will remain popular — but there’s no
need to limit yourself to the pricey Kiwi stuff.
“Sauvignon Blanc is the fastest-growing
white varietal now, not just from New
Zealand but also from North East Italy,
where the excellent 2015 wines are packed
with rich gooseberry and blackcurrant leaf
flavours,” says wine development manager
Nick Tatham MW.
For reds he points to Malbec, not just
the stuff from Argentina, but also Chile and
France, as well as the, “easy-drinking Nero
d’Avola from Sicily, which is establishing
itself as Sicily’s ‘go-to’ grape”.

24

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

021-22-23-24 xmas drinks.indd 24

3

The big night out

4

The formal meal

Shots

Alongside the classics such as
Jägermeister, sambuca and tequila, there’s
a new generation of flavoured spirits lining
up to get a foothold in this market, such as
Fireball from Hi-Spirits and Early Times Fire
Eater from Bacardi.
There’s also a host of “shot-tail” recipes
available online and direct from brands
such as Maxxium’s Sourz range and Global
Brands’ Corky’s (which has just unveiled
new packaging and new glitter versions), for
licensees wanting to be a bit more creative.

Aperitifs and digestifs

The mania for gin won’t diminish just
because the nights are getting darker, so
offering a pre-meal G&T needn’t be a trick
kept just for the summer months.
As Halewood Wines & Spirits brand
manager Tina Connolly puts it: “Dark nights
don’t just have to mean dark drinks. It’s not

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 13:04

drink.
about eliminating fresh tastes either,
but adding traditional warming
flavours and scents. Gin remains
a winter-friendly staple, and
the vodka boom has secured
its place firmly on this winter’s
cocktail lists.”
Therefore, when offering
a pre-meal G&T as Tina
suggests, think about adding
more wintery flavours, most
simply via the
garnish. Add
juniper berries,
pink peppercorns, dried citrus peel or even herbs for a seasonal twist.
After the meal don’t miss the opportunity to sell a “snifter” of something special,
either. Cognac and malt whisky are serious
treat options, and consider offering cream
liqueurs, such as any of the Bailey’s Irish
Cream variants or others like Thorntons
Chocolate Liqueur, in place of, or indeed
alongside, puddings and hot drinks.

021-22-23-24 xmas drinks.indd 25

24/10/2016 13:55

5

The family gathering
Soft drinks

This isn’t just about providing for the kids
(although a range of healthier kids’ drinks
is important at any time of year these days)
but also grown-up soft drinks, mocktails and
more premium options.
“People often get together for a
festive meal as part of their Christmas
celebrations and focusing on soft drinks
alongside food can have a huge impact on
sales,” says Amy Burgess, trade communications manager at Coca-Cola European
Partners (CCEP). “Research commissioned
by us shows that if each person at a table of
four orders two additional drinks the total bill
can increase by an average 43.7 per cent.”
Brands such as CCEP’s Appletiser and
Schweppes Sparkling Juice Drinks fit well
here, alongside the newly relaunched
Orangina range (available exclusively to
the on-trade in its glass “bulby” bottle) from
Lucozade Ribena Suntory, while Britvic
has just announced new packaging for its
eponymous mixers and juices range.
Russell Kirkham from the company says:
“It’s important to include interesting nonalcoholic serves and presentation should
not be forgotten. Interesting glassware and
garnishes are small investments in time and
money which can really help to enhance
the drinkers’ experience and inspire repeat
purchase within large groups, in particular.”

26 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

021-22-23-24 xmas drinks.indd 26

Don’t forget the beer
and cider
Other categories hog the
limelight at this time of
year but beer and cider
will still flow through the
taps whatever the
festive occasion.
Alongside your
usual range of beers,
think about offering
Christmas-themed ales
and more premium
lagers, to offer something a bit special,
and forget about
cider at your peril.
“Stocking cider
is not just a
summer priority,”
says Carlsberg
UK’s vice-president
of marketing, Liam
Newton. “We
continue to see
pub-goers choose
this product over
the winter months
too, so don’t
overlook it as the
weather cools.”

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 13:44

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8 dark cocktails

for the long nights

The time for Sangria and Sea Breezes is over, my friends. As the
nights draw in it’s the whiskies, brandies and aged rums that join us
by the fire. Here’s a handful of recipes to help raise your spirits (and
cocktail game) this winter
1

Old Fashioned

Originally developed in the 19th century,
this was a firm favourite in the 1960s and
has been revived by its frequent appearances on TV in the hands of Don Draper,
aka the “Mad Men effect”.
sugar
• 12tspdashes
Bitters
• Splash of Angostura
water
• 50ml Bourbon
• Slice of orange and/or maraschino
• cherries to garnish.

Put sugar and a splash of water at the
bottom of the glass, add the bitters and
mush together with a muddler, back of a
bar spoon, spare lipstick, whatever is to
hand. Add lots of ice, pour over the whiskey,
stir and serve with the fruit garnish.
Faff factor: ✭✭
Inapub verdict: Touted by bartenders as
the “new Mojito” this one also taps into
the trend for American whiskies and classic cocktails. A must have.

Put everything in a cocktail shaker and
shake it, shake it, shake it like a Polaroid
picture (to get that signature foam on the top
of the drink). Heeeyy yaaaaaaaa, hey yah…
Faff factor: ✭✭✭
Inapub verdict: The great thing about
this drink is that it’s so easy to customise
– change the base spirit, the kind of citrus
you use and the garnish and you can easily
make it your own version.

Named after the brand of Cognac
(Sazerac de Forge et Fils) that was
originally used to make it, this is said to be
one of the first cocktails ever created.
of Absinthe
• Splash
50ml
Cognac
• 12ml simple syrup
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
•
Glass: Old Fashioned

5

Inapub verdict: What’s that you say —
there’s snow on the ground and it’s two in the
morning? We know what we’re having…

Take two Old Fashioned glasses (yes, two!)
and splash absinthe into one of them. Swirl
it around and tip it out (we know!) Put the
other ingredients in the other glass with
some ice, stir and then strain into the glass
that has been “washed” with absinthe.
Garnish with lemon peel, if you can be
bothered after all that.
Faff factor: ✭✭✭✭
Inapub verdict: On the surface of it two
glasses and discarding absinthe might
seem a touch decadent because, well, it
is but isn’t that what cocktails are about?
Plus, it’s super-easy to execute well.

Whisky Sour

It is said that this cocktail was invented
during World War One and named after
an American captain who liked to ride in
a motorcycle sidecar. Others say that the
name stems from the term bartenders
use for left over booze they pour into shot
glasses. We know which one we believe.

•
•
•

Gently whip the cream until it thickens but
keep it of a pouring consistency. Pour hot,
freshly brewed coffee over the sugar and
whiskey into your serving glass and gently
stir. Add the cream by pouring over the back
of a spoon, so it sits on the top. Garnish with
grated nutmeg if you wish.
Faff factor: ✭✭✭

30ml brandy
30ml triple sec
25ml lemon juice

Glass: Martini

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker
and fill with ice. Shake it like a boss. Strain
into a glass and serve.
Faff factor: ✭✭✭
Inapub verdict: You do need a cocktail
shaker for this one but otherwise it’s a pretty
simple drink to make and totally worth it. We
could drink these until our faces melted.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016
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31

24/10/2016 14:23

6

Blood & Sand

At first glance the list of ingredients for this
cocktail do not seem natural bedfellows
but — as is the magic of cocktails — the finished drink is way tastier than its constituent parts might suggest.
Scotch
• 20ml
20ml
Heering
• 20ml Cherry
sweet
vermouth
• 25ml orange juice
•

Put all the ingredients into a cocktail
shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the
glass and garnish with orange peel
– flamed if you are feeling fancy.
Faff factor: ✭✭✭

Inapub verdict: The ingredients read like
a list of random bottles found at the back
of the parental booze cabinet but it is one
of the few classic cocktails made with
Scotch, so it’s well worth a go.

Glass: Martini

7

Dark ’n’ Stormy

Hailing from Bermuda — the home of
pastel-coloured office shorts and long socks
— comes this easy-peasy cocktail, which is
way more tasteful than the aforementioned
Bermudian fashion faux pas.
rum
• 60ml
2
dashes
• Ginger beerAngostura Bitters
•
Glass: Highball

8

Inapub verdict: Strictly speaking this needs
to be made with Goslings Black Seal rum,
but you can substitute with another dark
rum — it needs to be punchy though, and
the ginger beer fiery. We like a bit of lime
juice added into the mix too, for a slightly
more complex taste, but don’t tell any
Bermudians. Shhh!

Mint Julep

Since the mania for “smokehouse” foods
swept the nation Juleps, which also hail
from the Deep South, have been popping
up on drinks menus everywhere. If you’re
looking to add a note of authenticity use
spearmint leaves.

•
•
•

2 sprigs fresh mint
15ml simple syrup
60ml Bourbon

Glass: A julep tin for authenticity,
otherwise a highball will do it.

32

Put rum in a glass filled with ice and top with
ginger beer.
Faff factor: ✭

Muddle (bash) the mint leaves and
sugar syrup together in the glass, fill with
crushed ice and add the Bourbon. Stir and
garnish with a sprig of mint.
Faff factor: ✭✭✭
Inapub verdict: This one should be an
easy sell — to borrow a technique from
Amazon, if you like Mojitos, give this a try.
Menu match with smoky ribs, hot chicken
wings or meat straight off the barbecue for
pure on-trend Americana.

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eat
If you want to get a whole room of licensees talking at once,
ask them about chefs.
Retaining them, training them, managing them. At our
most recent Next Generation event in Manchester this
subject got everyone piping up with questions or
experiences. And it turns out one of the best things you can
do to help your kitchen team is get involved yourself.
As a licensee you need to have an understanding of every
aspect of your business, including the kitchen.
I recently met some managers with Fuller’s who were at a
training course specifically about working in the kitchen.

with BRONYA SMOLEN
It focused on cooking skills, but also understanding the
food style at their pub and what is required of a chef.
A few other licensees I’ve met recently have been
doing the same thing, with one couple even doing an
apprenticeship in cooking.
For me it sounds like a no-brainer — it means you can
appreciate what the kitchen can and can’t do, plus lend a
hand when people are off sick.
If you’ve not done a shift in the kitchen yet, then maybe it’s
time to go from the fire into the frying pan. And tweet me if
you give it a go @BronyaWrites.

Some dates for your menu that you may not have considered
Vegan Day

Chocolate-Covered-Anything Day

November 1
Go on, challenge yourself. Get something 100 per cent vegan on the menu,
snap a few pics and share it like crazy.
You might get a whole different bunch of
customers in.

December 16
Yes, this is listed as a day (on
daysoftheyear.com) but whatever.
People love chocolate so we think it
could work. Tweet in your weird and
wacky chocolate covered menu items.

St Andrew’s Day

Pumpkin Pie Day

November 30
One for the Scots, or anyone wanting to showcase some haggis,
tatties & neeps (among other delicacies).

December 25
We’re pretty sure this is actually
Christmas day. But according
to the web, the birth of Jesus is
over-shadowed by pumpkin pie. So
scrap the turkey and get in some pie
.

Cake Day
November 26
You saw our feature on afternoon tea didn’t
you? It could be a big market for pubs.
So when better to try it out than on this
slightly unofficial National Cake Day,
which may or may not have been
invented by a sponge-lover on the internet?

34

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p34-35 eat intro.indd 34

Bacon Day
December 30
Again, unsure how official this is, but we
bet your bacon it will be trending on social
media. Pile that bacon high and watch it go viral.

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 14:39

Piccalilli

BUTCHER’S BOARD
Matt Leech,
The Pheasant Inn,
Tattenhall, Cheshire

As with everything here
we make this ourselves
with cauliflower, turmeric,
saffron, chilli white wine
vinegar & white wine.
Then we add cucumber
to cool it down.

Pork crackling

“We hate waste, so we
salt the pig skin for two
days, then wash it all off
and cook it at a high
temperature to puff up”

Bread rolls

“We have our own sour
dough and white bread
dough, which we use as
a base to bake fresh rolls
each morning.”

Hot scotch egg

“We mix the pork with
shallots, thyme, garlic
and seasoning. Then the
eggs are soft-boiled for
six-and-a-half minutes with
a runny centre. Then we
wrap the pork round the
egg and use panko bread
crumbs to make sure it’s
extra crunchy.”

Honey glazed ham

“This is roasted with
English mustard, honey
and demerara sugar. It’s
cooked over night for 12
hours so it’s really moist.”

Black pudding &
Cumberland chipolatas

Our local butcher makes these to our very
own recipe, which we have given him.

p34-35 eat intro.indd 35

Pineapple chutney,

“We’ve got an Indian sous
chef, and this is his take
on mango chutney. It’s
made with brown sugar
pineapple, onion & garam
masala. It goes well with
the meat as it’s the same
idea as an apple chutney.”

24/10/2016 14:39

Menus for Millennials
by BRONYA SMOLEN

We quizzed five
industry know-it-alls
about the best way to
get those stubborn
Millennials eating your
food. Behold, your
ultimate guide to
cracking the market.
Maybe.

Who are these Millennial creatures?
“Millennial” is one of those annoying
over-used marketing terms, but they’re
basically anyone born between 1982 and
1996, so are currently 20 to 34 years old.
Marketers love to talk about them
because they think “differently”. They
drink less, aspire to live healthily and are,
generally speaking, socially, economically,
and environmentally conscious.

So everyone thinks they’re a pain?
Well, research has found that they often
prefer to go to the gym than the pub.
But they’re an important customer. The
Greene King leisure tracker for April 2016
found 63 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and
60 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds felt an
evening meal at a pub or restaurant was the
best way to socialise.
Plus, they actually like to spend money on
a product if there’s a story behind it.
Joel Harrison, drinks expert and TV
presenter, explains: “It’s about creating an
entertaining and engaging environment.
They want to have a discussion about
products and an experience with whatever it
might be that they have in their hand.”

OK, so what do they want to eat?
Quite a lot… they like to try new things, so
don’t be afraid to put something a bit wacky
on the menu.
According to research by Millennial
marketing experts FutureCast, 69 per
cent of Millennials consider themselves
to be adventurous.
Leah Swartz, senior content specialist
at the company, says: “They are
looking for menu options that go
beyond the traditional flavours,
and are instead looking to experience more spices and cultural
delicacies.”
Being a generation so

36

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24/10/2016 14:55

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13/10/2016 12:04

prolific on social media means they also like
food which is “shareworthy.”
London pub group PubLove introduced
in-house burger brand Burger Craft, which
offers big burgers topped high with extras
like bacon, onion rings and pulled pork.
Head chef Chris Clawson says these
mega-patties pull in younger diners, male
and female alike. “They love a good greasy
burger, and a lot of the time they want to
Instagram and share what they’re eating.
Food visuals are really important, so these
big ‘dirty’ meals are very appealing.”
But food porn burgers aren’t your only
option for getting this generation away
from Netflix and in front of your menu. Billy
Allingham, who heads up Steamin’ Billy pubs
in Leicestershire, finds younger diners like
change. “They’re a fickle generation and like
to go anywhere which is ‘on trend’,” he says.
“We keep food fresh — right now we’re doing
those steamed bao buns with shredded pork.
We also serve food on wooden boxes and
plastic trays, it’s part of the theatre.
“Deals are great too. Our most successful
ones are the classic burger & a pint and pizza
& Prosecco offers. Cocktail deals go down
well, and we offer milkshakes at the White
Bear in Hinckley which are popular too.”

Do they want food to be cheap?
No, it just needs to be reasonably priced.
Billy says: “Offers are very successful
but it’s not a price thing. Student union
bars are putting beer on at £4.50 a
pint, because if it’s in the right glass
and the right environment, they’ll
pay for it. Same for food.”
In fact, it might not be how
much, but how they pay. Billy
says: “Paying and ordering is
key with them. I
can’t stand
ordering
at the bar

38

p36-38 millennial menus.indd 38

myself, but they’re happy to do it so they can
come in big groups and pay individually.”

But they’ll only buy a lime & soda?
Wrong. Cue Leah again, with the research
bit. She says: “As Millennials get older, their
drinking habits are changing. We are seeing
growth from drinking to get drunk, to
drinking for the social experience.
Remember, they expect every aspect of their
meal to deliver an experience and adventure. Businesses can leverage this trend by
implementing pairing menus.”
Chris, meanwhile, sees there is mileage in
a good soft drink. “It’s about more than just
cola from a tap, people like different flavours
and want quality. We stock Fentimans and
Frobishers and they’re really popular despite
the higher mark-up.”

How can I get them to even see my menu?
Tim Foster, co-owner of London-based
Yummy Pub Co, says the key to interacting
with this generation is to be like them.
“We maintain a strong online and offline
presence, including regular updates about
what we’ve got on the menu or videos of our
chefs cooking up a storm. We also employ
the very same people that we’re trying to
attract — Millennials. They’re a breath of fresh
air and they know their audience. This allows
them to connect to customers and our
customers come back for that relationship.”

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 14:55

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9

by BRONYA SMOLEN

last-minute menu
hacks for Christmas
If you’re feeling more
‘holy sh*te’ than Holy
Night this year, don’t
panic — we’ve got your
back. Here are nine
fantastically festive tips
to help you add all the
sparkle to your menu
with none of the stress.
1

Forget the starters

Who talks about their starter on
Christmas day? It’s all about the
main event. Keep the preamble simple with
sharing platters instead. Bread and cheese
fondue, butcher’s board and pigs in blankets, potato dippers — all easy options with
minimal effort. One board per four heads —
you do the maths.

Stuff the turkey: you shouldn’t feel
you have to make a full Christmas
roast if you don’t want to

40

2

3

Pimp yo cheese

Cheddar, Stilton and Red
Leicester. Classic cheeses, but
yawn, it’s Christmas, goddamn it. Order in
some local specialities, swap the Stilton for
a creamier Gorgonzola or simply smother
a bruschetta with some Brie, cranberry and
crushed walnuts and call it a “Brie crostini
board”. It’s all the same, just, er, better, and
customers will lap it up. Easy Briesy.

4

Cook turkey upside-down

No, this isn’t fowl play — this is legit
and will make your turkey taste 10
times better and it is only a matter of turning
it over. Cooking the turkey upside down
means juices from the legs and thighs will
run all over the breast in cooking, basting it
naturally and making it extra moist. You can
even pop it on your menu as “Upside-down
turkey” for a bit of a talking point.

5

Master the gravy base

If you don’t have the stove space to
make a different gravy for each roast
dinner, just make one killer base and add
the extras to each gravy boat. Add cranberry,
orange & port for the turkey, horseradish for

Ditch the full dinner

“Woah, sweet Jesus, Mary and
Joseph, are you mad?” we hear
you cry. Think of us as the Angel Gabriel
and hear us out. If you don’t have a huge
demand or the facilities for a full Christmas
dinner, don’t force it. People are probably
sick of them anyway. Instead, how about
sandwich meal deals? Serve sarnies such
as turkey, stuffing and cranberry with a side
of roasts instead of chips. Everyone knows
the best thing about Christmas is the Boxing
Day leftovers in a toastie anyhow.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

p40-41 menu hacks 40

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eat.

Just desserts: perk up your puddings for the festive period by adding a splash of alcohol

the beef, grain mustard, cider & apple for
the gammon and thyme, rosemary &
redcurrant reduction jus for the lamb.

“

Christmas time
is all about the
booze, so don’t
skimp on the
brandy in your
brandy butter

6

whatever you can get your hands on to add
some provenance to the menu will be a
handy up-sell to your customers.

Cut corners if you can

Don’t make everything from scratch.
Dishes like marmalade-glazed
gammon sound impressive enough on the
menu. You don’t particularly need to grow
your own oranges and make the marmalade
from scratch. Buy it in, slow roast the gammon with a brown sugar, marmalade, honey
and mustard glaze (yep, you don’t need a
bee farm), then wham, bam, thank you ham
— you have a show-stopping gammon.

7

If in doubt, add cinnamon

This is not a hard and fast rule for
your life. If you’ve got doubts about
your relationship, shaking cinnamon at it
isn’t the answer. We’re talking about using
Christmas herbs and spices to spruce up
a year-round dish. Make a simple crème
brûlee but add some cinnamon, cloves and
star anise when you bring the milk to the
boil to give it that festive twist. You’ve got a
crème brûlée fit for the Three Kings.
As for your relationship, try shaking
turmeric instead.

8

Go local

“Roast beef” or “locally sourced
roasted Yorkshire beef” — which
sounds better? Sourcing some local
ingredients for your Christmas menu can add
that point of difference. It doesn’t even have
to be local meat. Use local potatoes, local
herbs, local cheese, local children-on-toast…

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p40-41 menu hacks 41

9

If in doubt, add alcohol

Again, please don’t apply this rule to
every walk of life, especially when your
fire won’t light. But Christmas time is all about
the booze, so don’t skimp on the brandy in
your brandy butter and try your hand at some
other boozy Christmas desserts. Try your
turkey breast stuffed with sausage meat and
Marsala-steeped cranberries. Or a trifle Mary
Berry would be proud of.

Rabbit blood pudding,
pig’s head nuggets,
chargrilled lamb leg
or smoked brisket —
this pub is a Mecca for
meat-lovers.

The Star & Garter in Falmouth creates a new
menu twice daily depending on what meat
is in the pub’s very own butchery.
Waste is a swear word and a nose-to-tail
ethos is key. But with several foodie awards
under the pub’s belt, it seems to be a
winning philosophy.
The pub was taken over by young couple
Elliot and Becca Thompson in August 2015.
It had a reputation as an old-school
boozer, so the pair took the opportunity
to make some changes and create their
dream pub. Now, with an open-plan kitchen,
butchery, smoker, barbecue and pickling
area, the pub is pulling in customers who
are desperate to get their pound of flesh.
Becca says: “We wanted our own
butchery and to cook over an open fire, so
we put this in when re-designing the pub.

We get our meat delivered whole from Phillip
Warrens butchers in Cornwall, who supply
businesses like the award-winning steakhouse Hawksmoor and are on our doorstep.
“We buy the whole pig then break it down.
We can offer it all, from the shoulder to the
cheeks over the course of seven days, and
that’s what guides the menu.”
Deliveries of three whole carcasses a
week come straight from the butchers —
from goat, to lamb, to venison, depending
on what’s in season. The pig’s head
nuggets, by the way, are made by braising
down what is left of the pig then deep-frying
it. The butchery is manned by three chefs,
who take pride in developing the
ever-changing menu around what they
have to work with.

Whichever way you slice it

Being able to butcher the meat to size, the
pub is able to offer feasts for large groups
or even couples, from dry-aged moorland
rump cap to a leg of lamb for two.
“It’s really popular. A table of four can
come in and have a whole moorland rib and
pick a certain weight,” says Becca.
The pub also runs “brisket and blues”
nights, which involve an American-style
barbecue, smoked brisket, beers and blues
music. The brisket is cooked overnight and

The Big Green Egg
Price? £550 to £1,250+
What does it do? It offers you seven ways to cook your dishes — by roasting, smoking, searing, baking, slow-cooking, pan cooking and grilling.
“It allows heat to form around the meat and seals in the flavour,” says
Becca. “It’s a very versatile piece of equipment. We can smoke, bake, and
barbecue on it, and can use wood chips, coals or ash for different tastes.”
How does it work? The ceramic has thermal properties great for heat and
moisture retention. You can use charcoal as fuel, and experiment with different wood chips to add flavour, for example cooking brisket with hickory chips.
Where can I get one? Take a look at www.biggreenegg.co.uk

served with pickled cucumber, chili corn
bread and campfire beans, all home-made.
There is something just as mouth-watering
for vegetarians and fish fans too. Locally
caught fish often feature, such as line-caught
sea bass from the fishing town of Looe,
served with beetroot, anchovy, capers &
buttermilk dressing. The chefs also make
ash-rolled goats’ curd in the embers of the
Big Green Egg (see opposite), and offer
dishes such as polenta, poached duck egg &
buckwheat. Provenance is of upmost
importance, and with the menu being so variable, staff are called twice daily for a briefing
on how each dish is made and sourced.
“Even though we do this high-end food
thing, we wanted it to be fairly accessible
and we are still a pub,” stresses Becca.
So the couple ensure it is still as much
a community meeting point as a dining
destination. Complete with one animal who
certainly won’t be going on the Green Egg —
the pub’s French bulldog Olive.

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24/10/2016 21:26

play
with MATT ELEY
Here’s a question for you. How do you ensure people don’t
cheat by using smartphones in the pub quiz?
Well, one way is to incorporate a phone-based
answering system into your event. I recently attended
the Punch Taverns roadshow and I saw several
companies trying to tempt licensees with technology
to modernise quizzes.
Instead of a customer’s phone being a potentially sinful
way of finding the answers, it can only be used to answer
questions. No doubt other members of teams will have
access to phones and tablets, though, so it may not be a
cure-all solution.
Another way to stop the cheating is to fine people if they
do. A tenner for each indiscretion should keep cheating

down and is also a decent way of raising some extra funds
for a charity.
Yet this still doesn’t completely stop people going
on their phones and potentially ruining the result and
enjoyment of a quiz.
How about confiscating phones before the quiz kicks off?
This seems a little extreme ahead of what is supposed to be
a bit of fun.
Ultimately the rules should be in the spirit of the event. A
clear message and a stern look from the licensee should
do it, especially if backed up by the disapproving looks of
customers towards an offender.
After all, if you don’t have the trust and support of your
customers you are starting on the wrong foot anyway.

CHAPLIN’S IN
LIMELIGHT WITH
GARDEN PRIZE
Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar
in Bournemouth has been
judged to have the best pub
garden in the country.
It beat 70 other finalists
in a competition run by
hospitality insurance
specialist SME.
The Belle Vue Tavern
47 in Ramsgate, Kent came
second, with the Maytime Inn
in Oxford taking third spot.
The winning pub received
a professional photo of its
garden, a commemorative
plaque and £500 of vouchers
to treat the pub team.

46

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

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Guy Fawkes Night

Remember, remember the fifth of November… I’m sure you
will but bear in mind it falls on a Saturday this year, so you
may want to host events in the week before to make the
most of the occasion.
Saturday November 5

Let me
entertain you

US election

Will it be Trump? Will it
be Clinton? Will it bring
people to the pub to
watch the result come in?
Vote now.
Tuesday November 8

Happening this month
England v Scotland
World Cup Qualifier

This was always going to be a tasty affair
and the Scots may fancy their chances
even more now England appear to be
moving from one farce to another. Wales
play Serbia the following day.
Friday November 11, 7.45pm, ITV

Autumn Internationals

The southern hemisphere giants take on our
boys throughout the month. Standout fixtures
include Wales v South Africa on November 26.
England take on Argentina the same day, a
week before they face Australia.
November 5 to December 3, BBC and Sky Sports

Brazil and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The season draws to a close. Is it too late
for Lewis Hamilton to defend his world
title? Probably.
November 13 and 27, Sky Sports F1

International Men’s Day

This day is also the global celebration of
toilets. If you can combine the two with an
event, please let us know.
Saturday November 19

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Sonia James,
The Village Inn,
Sandhurst
Sonia took on Punch pub
The Village Inn 18 months
ago and boosts trade with
a variety of events.
The cocktail bar in the
garden drives custom
throughout the year, with
the addition of a marquee
and heaters keeping it
going in the winter.
“The garden is bigger
than the pub so it’s an
important space for us.
We are the only pub in
the area to have a cocktail
bar, so it works well for us,”
she says.
Live music is another
popular addition, as Sonia
explains: “We usually have
a singer or a duo as we
don’t have the space for
a full band. We do DJs as
well and we have a late
licence until 1am.
“We also do a pub
quiz once a fortnight. This
is growing, with about 30
people taking part each
time, so we might make it
a weekly event.
“They pay £1 to enter
and it’s a bit of fun on a
Sunday night. We also do
a charity raffle.
“We have changed the
nature of the business
since we took over and
now we are attracting
more people with our
food and events.”

24/10/2016 16:27

Ale on the air?
by MATT ELEY

A couple of decades
ago, before the online
revolution, a mention
on the airwaves could
ensure local celebrity
status and a lunchtime
rush for a pub. So
imagine how much publicity you could garner
if you had your own
radio station?
This was in the minds of friends Ian Evans
and Brett Orchard when they launched their
new business venture — Atlantic Radio Café
at the pub formerly known as The
Winchester Arms in Taunton, Somerset.
They have literally set up a commercial
radio station to broadcast from the pub.

48 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

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Ian has a background in hospitality and
Brett has previously run radio stations so
they combined their skills when taking on
the Enterprise pub.
Brett explains: “This is the first one of
these anywhere but we are already exploring
how we can expand it across the country.”
The studio is located inside the pub,
meaning diners can not only hear the
station but they can also watch the
presenters, who can in turn see them. It is
completely sound-proofed but Brett believes
the location adds to the spirit of the station.
“I have always found with broadcasting
that the atmosphere is always better when
you have people around rather than just
talking to yourself in a box.

A sprinkling of stardust

“There is every chance that people will
come in for something to eat and they could
find themselves chatting on the radio as
well, depending on what competitions and
features we are running.”
They might even share the mic and a
bowl of chips with former TV star and Radio
1 DJ Mike Read, who has been lined up to
present on the station.
Brett adds: “With Mike, he should be
chatting to some of his celebrity chums
from back in the day. It brings some
stardust because Taunton is not exactly
the centre of the universe when it comes to
showbiz glamour.”
The pub will be doing its bit to change
that with a station that is available online
and on DAB across Somerset, Bristol, South
Wales and Devon, giving the pub a huge
potential audience.
With a mixture of chat and music, it is
targeting a family/female audience, aged
between 25 and 55. The crowd at the pub
should also reflect the audience listening in.
Previously the pub was more of a

For our Top 10 alcoholrelated tunes that could
go down well on Atlantic
Radio see page 65

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p48-49 radio cafe.indd 49

wet-led outlet but the team has been
working hard on the menus and attracting
different clientele.
Ian says: “As well as constructing a radio
studio in the pub, I have reinvented the
menu, focusing on the theme of the café.
“I’ve always had the image of something
similar to the Hard Rock Café or TGI Friday’s
but wanted to maintain a local attitude, not
just across the radio but the menu too. We
now offer locally sourced craft beers and
use local produce in our dishes.”
The pub is also offering a range of
Monster Shakes and deals such as “kids
eat free”, over-60s deals and pie & pint
and curry nights early in the week.
Business has been picking up
following the re-opening in the summer
and a £75,000 investment from the
licensees and Enterprise.
Perhaps the biggest bonus to having
your own radio station is the marketing
reach that you get.
Brett explains: “Marketing is one the
most expensive and difficult things for
a new business. Not only do we have
the advantage of our own radio station
but we also have many media partners
we work with.”
The station will have a presence at
a variety of events across the region.
“People are always keen to have a
radio station at their events because

of the marketing they get from it, but this
also allows us to talk about the restaurant
business and the station,” he adds.
And if all goes well in the West Country
Atlantic Radio Café could be opening up at
other pubs across the country.

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play.

9

of your best
Christmas ideas

by MATT ELEY

It’s that time of year
when the sound of
boozy laughter and
Christmas compilations
fills decked-out pubs
across the land. But how
do you inject something
a little different into
To get everyone
your Christmas offering?

“

feeling a
bit more
Christmassy
we have a
Christmas
Eve sing-song

We asked pub operators for the best
Christmas ideas they’ve had (or stolen)
and here they are, sharing them like
gifts around the tree… Now that’s
what we call the festive spirit.

1

Sing-song merrily

Clayton’s in Marlow is
renowned for its live
music and DJ sets but at
Christmas the customers
and staff are the stars.
Well, briefly.
Licensee Antosh
Samek says: “To get
everyone feeling a bit
more Christmassy
we have a Christmas
Eve sing-song. We
provide song sheets
and mince pies for

the guests and have some mulled wine
ready to sell to them. After they have sung
for a couple of hours, we then have a DJ as
we’re open until 1am to keep going once
they are full of festive cheer.”

2

’Twas the night before
Christmas

At the Alford Arms in Frithsden,
Hertfordshire, customers are treated to a
traditional reading of the classic Clement
Clarke Moore poem (What poem’s that?
Look at the title bit). It was originally performed by a customer, followed by owner
Becky Salisbury and more recently the pub’s
general manager has also had a turn.

3

An idea born in the USA

Mark Thornhill, manager at The
King’s Head in Hursley, Hampshire,
picked up a few tricks from his time
working in hospitality in America. One
gem is the way he decorates the
two 9ft trees (bought back from
the States) with 3,000 lights
using just red, gold and green.
The trees take centre stage at
the pub. Who said Americans
lacked taste?

4

It’s a cracker

Christmas crackers
usually deliver little
more than disappointing plastic knick-knacks
and awful jokes, but
not for punters at
The Pier in Aberystwyth, where they
make their own.

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24/10/2016 23:16

IT’S NOT
CHRISTMAS
WITHOUT
BAILEYS

Licensee Lee Price says: “Instead of
releasing the customary crappy toy or joke,
the team have come up with New Year deals
— pocket-sized loyalty cards, BOGOF
vouchers, kids eat free coupons, free
starter with every main and so on, in a bid
to counteract the ever-increasing number of
campaigns that encourage drinkers to go
dry for the trade’s toughest month.” January,
just in case that wasn’t clear.

The cream li ueur
in the world
. m
adults enjoy
Baileys at Christmas2
Supported by
ATL spend

Jumper to it: don’t forget your
knitwear if you’re off to The Fox in
Newfound in the Christmas period

. m
NEW T
A THIS
XMAS

A drink for every day: The Boaters
25 different beers in December

p51-52-53 xmas ideas.indd 52

Strict dress code

At The Fox in Newfound, Hampshire,
there is one rule at Christmas: you
must wear a daft jumper. Licensee Buddy
Love says: “We put mince pies, cheese and
crackers out on the bar and all we ask is
that everyone wears their Christmas jumper,
whether it was a present or self-purchase.
It’s the one time for three hours we all come
together in harmony and it’s the best time of
the year for us.”

The Boaters in Kingston upon
Thames has two special calendars
for the month of December. The pub’s
social media
calendar works as
a way of getting
customers to compete for daily prizes
and the beer one
offers customers
something different
to sample.
General manager
Ben Bullman says:
“We select 25 of our
favourites and work
through them over
the month, aiming to
have a surprise or two
worked in there.”
And there’s something for the children
as well, with younger
visitors encouraged
to sit at The Boaters’
“decorating table”,
where they can have a go at creating something to hang on the pub’s Christmas tree.

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 16:57

PROFIT FROM
THE MOST-LOVED
SPIRITS BRAND
WITH THESE
FESTIVE SERVES*

That takes the biscuit: Ye Old Sun’s ‘gingerbreaders’ get busy

7

“

I like to host
lots of events
that involve
collaborating
with local
businesses — all
the places that
get extra busy
during the
festive period

Ginger Christmas

Customers at Ye Old Sun Inn in
Colton, Yorkshire, can attend gingerbread workshops under the watchful eye
of chef and owner Ashley McCarthy. They
are provided with packs that have all the
ingredients and utensils required to make a
masterpiece. Ash says: “Half of the pub is
allocated to the ‘gingerbreaders’ and utter
chaos starts from 5pm on the last Sunday
before Christmas. The idea was to increase
‘family’ activity just before Christmas day
hits and encourage more families to stay
after our Sunday lunch service.”

8

Vouching for your business

Alastair Scott, who has pubs in
Bristol and Harrogate, unashamedly
admits his best Christmas idea has been
inspired from elsewhere. He says: “My idea
is to market gift vouchers as a Christmas
present — good all round, and we have a
database of 6,000.”

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BAILEYS
&
COFFEE

BAILEYS
HOT
CHOCOLATE

Be neighbourly

There’s no better time of year for
connecting with those closest to
you. And it can have benefits too, as Fabia
Ward, general manager at Leicester’s Taps,
says: “I like to host lots of events that involve
collaborating with local businesses like the
cheese deli, our local chocolate shop, even
the hairdressing salons — all the places that
get extra busy during the festive period.
Building good relationships with your
surrounding businesses creates positive
talk about your venue, and word of mouth is
the best publicity.”

9

Baileys is a versatile spirit which
can be enjoyed in a whole host of
serves to cater for all occasions
– from the casual festive gettogether to a post-meal occasion.

BAILEYS
FLAT WHITE
MARTINI

FOR MORE SERVE
INSPIRATION VISIT

* Millward Brown, 2016

24/10/2016 23:39

Ball sports for all
by MATT ELEY

Fit to wear the shirt… the walls
of the pub are a veritable
sportsman’s wardrobe

Perhaps it’s appropriate
that a pub that goes by
two names is adept at
pulling in two different
types of crowds.
Officially, the pub that Kevin McGhee has
run for the last 10 years is known as
The Athletic Arms. But to many in the
Haymarket area of Edinburgh it is better
known as The Diggers.
This is due to its proximity to a couple of
graveyards and the number of gravediggers
who used it for refreshment after a hard
day’s graft.
Its name and history are celebrated on
the pub’s spade and pick-axe logo, its own
pump clip and official t-shirts, which are just
some of the ways it connects with a loyal
customer base.
Another is through sport and, unlike some
pubs, it manages to attract fans of both the
round ball and the oval-shaped one. This
is partly down to taking advantage of its
proximity to both Murrayfield and Heart of
Midlothian’s Tynecastle home.
This is bittersweet for Kevin, who is
actually a fan of Hearts’ city rivals Hibernian.
He explains: “It’s a Hearts pub but I am a
Hibs fan. There’s never any issues though

and the banter is good.”
The link with Hearts is evident with posters and memorabilia displayed throughout
and with Kevin sponsoring players at the
club. It helps ensure match days are lively
affairs with both home and away fans
attracted to The Diggers.
“It’s the same set of rules for all,” explains
Kevin. “There’s no singing and we get a
mature crowd, which is the reputation of
the pub. The regulars pay my bills and the
football is the profit. There are a few pubs
that have shut because they relied so
heavily on the football and they suffered
when Hearts were relegated and the
attendances dropped.”

Spreading the word online

Reputation and quality are key drivers of
trade but Kevin also uses social media to
connect with new customers.
This helps the pub attract rugby fans,
particularly when Scotland are playing at
home in the Six Nations.
”A lot of it is through tradition and word
of mouth but I also go onto rugby forums to
provide information about places to go for a
drink before games and not just here. I talk
about where I would go if I was watching
the game.”
Customers respond to the helpful and
no-nonsense approach by visiting a pub
with the same values.
Kevin again adds that the quality of the
drinks — beer accounts for around threequarters of his volume and the remainder is
largely spirits – is essential to his offer.
“Traditionally rugby fans like their beer
and their whisky. They like quality and they
are not afraid to pay for it. Some pubs put
their prices up for internationals but we
don’t do that.”
That ethos extends to the TV sport offer,
which includes subscriptions to both Sky

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play.

“

Why would
you pay money
for a drink to
have a worse
TV picture than
you have in
your house?
You want at
least the same
or a better
picture

Kevin caters to fans of both codes with a quality beer offer, high-quality screens and advice on online forums

TV and BT Sport. The pub maintains its
traditional Victorian feel but has three
high-quality screens discreetly positioned
around the pub.
Kevin believes that you have to offer a
great experience to get people out of their
homes. “Why would you pay money for a
drink in a pub to have a worse picture than
you have in your house?” he says. “You
want at least the same or a better picture.”
At times football and rugby fans mix in
the pub, with the coverage split across the
screens but there is never trouble between
the various sets of supporters.
One of the challenges ahead of big event
days is staffing and Kevin believes the best
thing to do with new members of the team is
to throw them in at the deep end.
“They shadow someone beforehand but

you just have to get on with it. We have seven
or eight staff on, so there’s always someone
to talk to but it’s five or six deep at the bar.”
Capacity is an issue, particularly now that
Hearts are looking to build a new stand to
accommodate a further 4,000 supporters.
Kevin is working with landlord Star pubs
to redevelop the pub’s snug and toilet areas
to create more space. Star is also helping
the pub to expand its food offer as part of
its philosophy of helping its pubs appeal to
different customer types.
The redevelopment is not going to be
ready anywhere near in time for a major
match this month when Scotland take on
England in a World Cup Qualifier (Friday,
November 11), but you can be sure the
Diggers will be packed for that one and for
many more in the years to come.

Portraits of Hearts players past and present adorn the walls

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24/10/2016 17:10

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

RISING
STAR

What a difference
a year makes

These are challenging times for publicans, so even those who are celebrity chefs need
support in order for their businesses to ourish. That’s why olin Mc urran, star of
The reat ritish Menu and S aturday Kitchen, chose to work with HEINEKEN when he
opened his ﬁrst pub, the Hope & Anchor, outh erriby, incolnshire. olin is already a
successful restaurateur he owns the ﬁve star interingham ields but was new to the
pub trade, so welcomed the support and e pertise offered by H I
. e’ve been
following them this year, as they work together to build a successful pub business. Here’s
what olin has to say about the e perience so far.
“HEINEKEN offered me more than
j ust beer”

olin decided to oin forces with H I
over other
suppliers right at the start of his ourney because the
company offered him, not ust a wide range of uality
drinks but also business support from advising on how
much glassware we needed, to the bar design, to which
brands would be right for this business.”

“S martD ispense means we’ve never
had a complaint about our beers”
As a top chef olin knows a lot about ﬁne dining but
less about beers and cellar management, which is
why he plumped for H I
’s e clusive
martDispense system.
S martD ispense is a cold draught system that is 2 0
per cent more energy efﬁcient than traditional coolers.
It helps reduce wastage too, as line cleaning is
re uired ust once every four weeks and is undertaken
by H I
technicians.
oing for martDispense was without a doubt the
best thing we’ve ever done here,” says olin.

“P int P erfection training ensures
perfect pints every time”

eer at the Hope & Anchor is around p a pint more
e pensive than at other pubs in the area. o olin knows
consumers e pect it served at the best possible uality
by staff who know what they are doing.
The training by H I
’ globally accredited

p56-57 heineken adv.indd 56

24/10/2016 17:16

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Future plans

“The next step here at the Hope
&Anchor is to create a beer garden,”
says Colin. “HEINEKEN is helping us
with that, advising on everything from
planning permission, to the design and
logistics, which is invaluable. We want
it to be the best beer garden around,
we’ve got the views and the customer
demand, and with HEINEKEN’s help
I’m conﬁdent it’ll be a success.”
Colin also has plans to open more
pubs and is working closely with his
HEINEKEN business development
manager, Peter Lawson (pictured far
left) — who has been with him on every
step of the Hope & Anchor journey —
to achieve that. “Wherever I open next,
HEINEKEN will absolutely be my
preferred partner there too,” he says.

Draught Masters means staff are much more conﬁdent
in serving beer,” Colin explains. “Customers have noticed
staff are more conﬁdent talking about and serving beer
and the feedback has been great.”

“HEINEKEN helped me spread
the word”

“Marketing is a crucial aspect of running a pub,” says
Colin, who got help from the HEINEKEN team to boost
the proﬁle of the Hope & Anchor. They helped us come
up with some really great social media ideas – food and
drink pairing videos on YouTube for example – as well as
assistance on more traditional local marketing and community engagement. Now we’re looking at improving our
website and they are helping with that as well.”

“We’ve got our own ale”

The Hope & Anchor bitter is an amber ale brewed at the
HEINEKEN-owned Caledonian Brewery. It was born out
of Colin’s desire to have his own unique beer, to help the
pub stand out.
“We approached HEINEKEN about the idea and they
helped us come up with the concept and advised us on an
amber ale, as that was a gap we had in the portfolio. We
even got the ﬁrst keg for free, which was a great help,”
he explains.
For half the year, 10p from each pint of the beer sold
goes to charity, which has also helped Colin and the
team engage with the locals and create some publicity for
the pub.

p56-57 heineken adv.indd 57

HEINEKEN’s focus is to grow
together with customers by
working with them to help
provide consumers with an
excellent drinking experience
in the on-trade every time they
visit. If you’re interested in
ﬁnding out more about working
with HEINEKEN, please call
0341 556 0109

Andrew Turner, on-trade
category and marketing director
at HEINEKEN, says:
“We continue to see consumers seeking out the premium
experiences that great pubs can offer and our work with
customers like Colin, advising on everything from brands
to have on the bar, technology in the cellar to supporting
with marketing to customers, ensures they have a standout offering that brings visitors in. Colin has had a great
year and it’s been fantastic to see how well The Hope &
Anchor is doing, despite the challenges the industry is
currently facing. We’re excited to be supporting him
with a new garden next year, and looking forward to our
ongoing partnership helping Colin grow The Hope &
Anchor and his wider business portfolio.”

24/10/2016 17:16

back-bar business

ASK THE EXPERTS
Do I still have time
to get a Temporary
Event Notice (TEN)
before Christmas?
THE SHORT ANSWER

YES

But pay close attention to the deadlines
THE SLIGHTLY LONGER ANSWER

If you want to apply for a TEN ahead
of Christmas Eve it must reach the
licensing authority by December 9,
and by December 14 for a New Year’s
Eve event. After this you still have the
option of a late notice but this comes
with an element of risk.

Got a question or a problem you face running a pub?
Email editorial@inapub.co.uk and we will find the best
people to get you an answer

p58 ask the expert.indd 58

THE EXPERT ANSWER IN FULL

Anna Mathias

Barrister with
national licensing firm
Woods Whur
You can use a TEN to extend your licensed
hours or to carry on a licensable activity
for which you are not otherwise covered
by your premises licence. TENs can be
particularly useful around Christmas, when
you might want to trade later than normal, or
perhaps put on events involving live music,
for example.
There are two ways to apply for a TEN —
via the standard procedure, which must be
completed at least 10 clear working days in
advance, or via the so-called “late temporary
event notice” process, requiring at least
five clear working days’ notice. Neither the
date the notice is received by the licensing
authority, nor the date of the event, may be
counted when making these calculations.
Therefore, if you are intending on giving
a TEN for Christmas Eve, the absolute last
date by which it must be received by the
licensing authority will be Friday, December
9. If you need one for New Year’s Eve, the
notice will need to reach the authority on or
before Wednesday, December 14.
Both of these calculations assume that
you use the standard procedure, and I
strongly recommend that you do. The
reason for this is that, under the late notice
procedure, if an objection to the notice is
received from both or either of the police or
environmental health (and those objections
can be based on any licensing objective),
there is no provision for resolving the matter,
at a hearing or otherwise. The event will
simply not be allowed to take place.
Given the importance of events around
Christmas to your business, it is simply too
risky, in my view, to attempt to cover them
by late TENs. Of course, the sooner you get
your TENs approved, the sooner you can
start advertising your event.

With the launch of its
video camera-equipped
Spectacles, Snapchat has
gone mainstream. But
how can you use the app
to market your pub?

With it attracting more than 10 million
active UK users every day, it’s no wonder
publishers, brands and marketers are
desperate to get in on the Snapchat act.
As the majority of these users are from
the notoriously hard-to-reach post-Millennial
Generation Z — a demographic that famously
eschews nearly all forms of traditional media
— it’s not hard to see why people are keen to
get a foothold in that market. After all, these
are the potential pub customers of the future.
So how can you use Snapchat to engage
with them, and get them into your pub?
It won’t be right for everyone, but pubs
with a younger, more studenty crowd could
definitely find some value in using Snapchat.
Here are six ideas for how to help you do
just that:

1

Promote events

2

Share behind-the-scenes
content

3

Run contests and
competitions

4

Offer vouchers

5

Partner with influencers

6

Make a Geo-filter

Take Snaps of live music, discos,
salsa classes, quiz nights or barbecues to
capture the atmosphere and let people
know what’s going on in your pub right now.

Capture moments from the kitchen (making
roasts or creating a new dish), decorating
the pub for Christmas, changing barrels or
just some of locals or staff having fun.

Offer promo codes or discounts to fans who
watch your Snapchat Stories, or ask them to
send Snaps and Stories from their night to
the pub account and you can pick a winner.

Use your own Snaps as coupons for
crisps, chips or nuts with a round of drinks.
Users screengrab the voucher and redeem
it at the bar. You’ll get notified when people
screengrab your Snap, so you can see
whether people redeeming the voucher
are genuine.

Got a local character or member of
staff who is popular with your customers?
How about offering your Snapchat account
to them for a takeover? They can then send
out some Snaps to your audience from the
pub account for an hour or so.

Create a filter for your geographical
area, so that people can add it to their Snaps.
This could be great for Halloween, Christmas,
beer festivals or other big events.

Pubs that have helped
their communities in all
kinds of creative ways
have been celebrated
at a national award
ceremony.

Licensees have been at the forefront of a
range of charitable and community-led
initiatives, from helping families go on
holidays with terminally ill relatives for the
final time, to wearing no shoes for a year
to highlight the plight of children in parts
of Africa.
They were all celebrated at pub company
Enterprise Inns’ Community Hero Awards
last month.
The Cleveland Bar in Redcar, North
Yorkshire, was crowned the overall winner in
recognition of the difference it has made to
the lives of so many people living in an area
that has been hit hard by unemployment.
Licensees Russell and Sarah Clark
impressed the judges with their tireless
efforts to make the pub a hub of the
community and the lengths to which they
have gone to make the pub fully accessible
to those less able.
Russell told Inapub: “We came last year
and won the regional award, which was
absolutely fantastic. So to win this is just
incredible. We didn’t expect it at all and it is

60

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p60 community heroes.indd 60

quite overwhelming to win the prize.”
The £3,000 they received as regional
winners last year was put towards making
the pub more accessible for elderly and
disabled customers by installing ramps,
handrails and additional external lighting.
Russell added: “We like to make everyone
feel welcome. We are currently looking into
providing free transport for our less able
customers. This will enable them to get out a
bit more and socialise, especially in the dark
winter months.”
Along with the title the couple were
awarded a top prize of £6,000. Eighteen
regional winners each picked up £3,000 in
prize money.
In total more than 500 pubs entered the
awards, which are now in their fifth year.

Walking with no shoes

The national runner-up, receiving a total
of £5,000, was The Lunar Hare in Andover,
run by Allen Watts, also known as the
Barefoot Publican.
He is halfway through a year of being
barefoot at all times to raise money and
awareness for children in Africa. In addition
to this, he also holds a variety of events
at his pub to support a plethora of local
charities.
He told Inapub: “My feet feel the same
as they did on day one, there’s lots of pain
and things that stick into them. But it’s about
braving it out to raise awareness for this
amazing charity Giving Africa which builds
schools and provides clothes and shoes
children and gets them into education.”

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 20:48

View from the
Next Generation is
sponsored by

Supported by

Not many people will have gained as much from
being part of our Next Generation project as
Andrew Preston. The 23-year-old has already
attended events in London and Manchester and
is set to complete the hat-trick by heading to our
next one in Liverpool in January.

He says that the events have provided plenty
of ideas that he has taken back to the family
business he helps to manage, The
Appleby Inn in Swandlicote, Derbyshire.
“There have been great tips from a
number of people such as Yelp talking
about reviews and your online presence
and [brand and marketing expert] Mark
McCulloch getting us to think about being a
brand,” he says.
“In Manchester there was loads about
staffing and dealing with your team that I
have taken back to the business.”
He has also gained from the expert
knowledge provided by Heineken and
Diageo in the form of Bar Academy, which
helps pubs understand and work better with
spirits. “The drinks tips have been brilliant,”
he continues. “Heineken’s Perfect Serve
training really makes you think about how

much can get wasted in drip trays, so we
have been speaking to staff about that and
doing extra training with them. The approach
is so important as well — it is about explaining this to staff rather than making it feel like
they are being told off.
“We are not really set up for cocktails
but we have even tried a few following the
sessions with Diageo.”
It is all helping him get closer to realising
his ambition of owning his own pub
business. “I enjoy what I do now but it is no
secret that ultimately I would like to run my
own venue,” he says.
“Next Generation has helped me think
about how I can achieve that and the type of
venue I would like to have.”
And just like our other Next Generation
members, we will be keeping a close eye on
Andrew’s career.

Get involved
Next Generation is designed to bring
together new licensees and managers
with ambitions of running their own pub
business. Event attendees get to meet pub
people at similar stages in their careers to
share experiences and to hear from expert
speakers and leading operators. Our next
event will be in Liverpool on January 24.
To find out more about Next Generation
visit trade.inapub.co.uk or register your
interest by emailing

nextgen@inapub.co.uk

p61 next gen.indd 61

24/10/2016 17:32

time at the bar

The Black Dog
There was a blast from
the past this month with
Hofmeister beer being
relaunched and at first
glance the creature in
this photo could pass for
the famous bear from the
original ads. However, this
is not a man in an animal
suit — it is a real and very
impressive Russian terrier
by the name of Louis.
And the pub where he is
perched at the bar? The
aptly named Black Dog in
Oadby, Leicestershire.

Book of the month
Cavern Club: The Inside
Story, by Debbie
Greenberg
Strictly speaking, The
Cavern is more club than
pub, but the experiences of
owner Debbie Greenberg
will make fascinating
reading for any licensee.
She was a regular as
a customer when The
Beatles were rising to
stardom and she took
on the business herself
aged just 20 in 1966.
The book also marks 60
years since the club first opened its doors.

YOUR ROUND
Got something to say? Share it with the pub trade here

Tweets of the month

The history debate rages on (see p14-15)

On Cask Ale Week

@The_FiveBells
@inapub We have historical
records going back to 1262
and a list of landlords from
1579. Only really counts if it’s
continuous good service.

@beerispoetry
The Beer Fest was a cracking night, with music, beer
and fun! And Darkstar Hophead tasted great, it really
was the one! #caskaleweek
@caskaleweek
Remind those politicians it’s last night of #CaskAleWeek
and by drinking cask ale they’re supporting Brit farmers,
maltsters, brewers and pubs!
@DrapersArmsBris
Day 9 of @caskaleweek. Sales of Cask Ales continue
unabated (whatever that means) all week. One last push
for the remaining two days
@lyegreen1
What better way to celebrate quiz night during this
fine ale week than to dedicate a round to #caskales
@caskalesweek @PerfectPintUK #quiz

62 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

p62 your round alt.indd 62

Cocktail tips gained at
Next Generation
@dogandpartridge
@inapub
@DiageoBarAc
sending this one to you .....

PLATE OR SLATE?
Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions
Josh Ramsey

The Blackbird,
Edinburgh
Josh is general manager at
this stylish, award-winning
spot. The venue boasts an
impressive array of spirits
and beers as well as one of
the most welcoming beer
gardens around. It is part of
the Big Red Teapot group,
which recently opened its
fourth venue in the city,
The Voyage of Buck.

Plate or slate?

High heels or wellies?

Plate, because sometimes slate comes off
as gimmick for gimmick’s sake and I don’t
think it’s relevant for 2016. Secondly, slate is
porous and will absorb anything that was on
the dish before.

We appeal to both, as long as they are
Hunter wellies! We are city centre so we
have both, and brogues as well. We have
everything in here but generally people
make an effort as to how they dress.

Cocktails or cask ale?

Background music or silence is
golden?

We do both and they have equal billing. We
take our cocktails very seriously and have
won a number of awards for them but, let’s
be honest, there are a lot of people who
come to bars for a pint and some food.

Cash or Apple Pay?
We get a lot of credit cards. People who are
eating tend to pay that way rather than cash.
More and more people are using cards.

We have background music and it is louder
and more upbeat at the weekends. I know
it came up in the Good Pub Guide as an
issue but I honestly think they didn’t ask
anyone under the age of 45. I don’t think
anybody under the age of 30 would go into
a bar without music. People go to bars for
the music.

Michelin star or packet of pork
scratchings?
Neither. We take our food seriously and we
have a seasonal aspect to our menus, we
change them all the time. We are not
Michelin star here but we are a bit above
pork scratchings. We’d have them, if they
were home-made.

Wear what you like or uniforms for
the staff?
Never uniforms, ever. It comes down to
hiring the staff to reflect the customers you
are aiming for. So if you are running a bit of
a cool cocktail bar, you will hire people who
care about what they look like and will make
an effort with how they dress.

Dogs allowed or the only animals are
on the menu?
We have them in the bar and the garden but
not the restaurant. We love dogs. If you like
dogs, you are a nice person. Nobody who is
a bad person likes dogs. A dog in a pub is a
British institution.

p63 plate or slate.indd 63

24/10/2016 20:14

time at the bar
Greene King has thrown its most successful
World’s Biggest Coffee Morning to date for
Macmillan Cancer Support, by serving cake
and coffee in 1,800 pubs.
The pubco also encouraged team members
and customers to take part in static bike ride
challenges. Greene King has partnered with
Macmillan since May 2012, and has donated
almost £500,000 from the coffee mornings
in that time. The company especially encouraged male staff and customers to join in, due
to the fact that men are 60 per cent more likely
to get cancer than women, according to the
Men’s Health Forum organisation.

THE COLLECTION TIN
What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes
Hogs Back Brewery raised £7,500 for mental health charity MIND with a hop harvest festival party. The party also
celebrated the return of Paralympic double gold medallist
Georgie Hermitage, who used to work at the brewery. Around
800 guests enjoyed live music, food and Hogs Back beer.
The Isle of Wight’s Character Inns has raised hundreds of
pounds for local charities via its pudding menu. The pubs
donate 25p from every dessert sold during a two-month
period. So far they have raised for £262.25 the Niton
Pre-school and are soon to present a cheque to the Isle of
Wight Search and Rescue.

Novus Leisure has partnered with Cheers for Cheer,
which raises money for small projects in South America,
Africa and the UK. The London operator will be
encouraging customers to donate the cost of a drink,
and post photos on social media of themselves raising
a glass with the hashtags #cheersforcheer, #raiseaglass
and #raiseasmile.
The Greyhound in Ipswich held a golf day for staff and
regulars, raising £408 for Support Dogs UK. Following the
success, landlord Dan Lightfoot said he hoped the charity
golf days would become a regular event.
Celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge and Adam Byatt (pictured)
will take over the kitchen at a Stockbridge Michelin star
pub, to raise money for charity. Two supper clubs will be
held at The Greyhound on the Test, to support the Alex
Lewis Trust.
The charity was set up to help rehabilitate Alex, partner
of Lucy Townsend who owns the pub, after he suffered
from an illness resulting in quadruple amputation.
Lucy said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Tom and
Adam into our kitchen for what we are sure will be two very
special evenings and we really appreciate all the support
they’ve given to Alex.”

Are you raising funds for a great cause? Let us know at editorial@inapub.co.uk

64

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p64 collection tin.indd 64

trade.inapub.co.uk
24/10/2016 20:15

SONGS ABOUT DRINKING
TOP

10

Tracks that prove music and alcohol go hand in hand
1. Cigarettes and Alcohol

7. Rum & Red Bull

2. Red, Red, Wine

8. Cheers (Drink to That)

Oasis
Is it our imagination or were ’90s Brit Pop
bad boys Oasis obsessed with drinking?
Add some Champagne Supernova and a
Supersonic gin & tonic and it’s no wonder
Liam Gallagher was regularly spotted strutting in and out of North London hostelries.

UB40
The Brum reggae outfit are best known for
this ’80s classic. Contemporary follow-ups
about rosé and Prosecco are well overdue.

3. I am a Cider Drinker

The Wurzels
They don’t make them like this anymore,
and for that, perhaps, we should be grateful.
That said, it made it to number three in the
charts so who are we to judge? People with
ears, that’s who.

4. American Pie

Don McLean
A song referencing traditional pub grub
as well as those “good old boys drinking
whiskey and rye”. Perfect jukebox material.

5. Tubthumping

Chumbawamba
Another ’90s tale of “pissing the night
away” with whisky drinks, vodka drinks,
lager drinks and cider drinks. Some would
argue the best thing they did was with a soft
drink, when they soaked John Prescott with
a bucket of ice-cold water.

Beenie Man
This 2011 hit is basically an ode to
drinking. It was popular but we don’t think it
managed to knock the more familiar Vodka
Red Bull off the top of the Energy Drink
and Alcohol Serve Charts (available to
download, possibly).

Rihanna
Rihanna is the sort of singer who could
rack up a handy bar tab. In this one she
celebrates whisky and sunglasses, possibly
to conceal her hangover.

9. Last Friday Night

Katy Perry
Kissing a girl was not the only thing Katy
has apparently tried and liked — she’s also
partial to a pint, as many photos will show.
Add to that this song and the fact that her
surname is a drink, and we just couldn’t
leave her out.

10. What Good Can Drinking Do?
Janis Joplin
Er, help record amazing tunes like this?
Keep you in touch with your friends and
community? Help you escape from the
stresses of everyday life? Just don’t put that
question to Alcohol Concern, you might not
get the same answer.

6. Down at The Old Bull
and Bush

Florrie Forde
Going back even further to the days of the
music hall, this number takes its name from
the London boozer that used to be famed
for its music. Nowadays it’s more gastro
than muso. Sign of the times etc etc.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016 65
p65 top 10.indd 65

24/10/2016 21:32

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG
Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs
Sloes at dawn
start
ke Off heading to the up
With the Great British Ba
a
for
le
edu
e in the BBC sch
Channel 4, there’s a hol
food-based nail-biter.
the
portunity to put pubs in
Always looking for an op
George
the
to
n
ntio
w the Beeb’s atte
limelight, we’d like to dra
the
14,
ber
cem
ere, on De
Inn, Tunbridge Wells wh
ampionship
Ch
Gin
e
Slo
rld
Wo
annual
will be held.
all over
Competitors come from
gins
e
slo
ir
the
er
ent
to
the world
their
ck
pri
l
for judgement. Who wil
Will
t?
oun
am
ht
drupes just the rig
l
sia
ver
tro
con
the
try
e
anyone dar
l
Wil
d?
“freezing the fruit” metho
sugar?
someone add too much
better
a
ke
ma
ld
cou
And who
iller than
thr
this
for
ter
sen
pre
named
?
you
Mary Berry, we ask

Everybody in the
public house of love
‘90s pop sensation East 17 (named after
their home postcode in Walthamstow) were
last month playing at the 150th birthday
celebrations of the Farmer’s Arms in Frankby
(from Walthamstow to the Wirral, eh lads?
Just what every pop star dreams of).
The pub boasts the largest beer garden
in the region, a children’s play area, a snug,
and “friendly, quick” service according to
one TripAdvisor reviewer. So the big
question is whether the pub was so
nice that the boys wanted to
Stay Another Day?

Booze beneath ou
r feet
Jobs for the Boys?
A pub that featured in the seminal ‘80s TV
show Boys From The Black Stuff is set
to be demolished and turned into flats,
despite howls of outrage from fans of
the drama.
Given the series’ focus on the
devastating effects of high unemployment on people and places, however,
we can’t help but wonder if The Boys
themselves might have welcomed the
work that redeveloping the Green
Man pub into flats would have
offered them?

66 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016

p66 hair of the dog.indd 66

We’re used to pu
bs being turned
into luxury flats
(see left) but no
these days
t so much luxury
flats turning up
which is what ha
an old boozer,
ppened in Manch
ester a few week
Archaeologists
s ago.
were excavating
a city centre site
constructing a ne
ahead of
w 13-storey
building, when th
ey found the
remains of The
Astelys Arms.
The pub dates fro
m 1821 and
was uncovered
complete with th
e
original plates, m
ugs, pipes, coin
s
and even “three
or four bottles fu
ll of
brandy dating fro
m the early 1900
s,”
several papers re
ported.
We’re not exactly
sure why they
are so excited, th
ough. There are
bottles of Advoca
at older than that
on the back-bar
of every pub we
’ve
ever been in.